Improvement in skates



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mnewes f 71 veular UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. DUTTON, OF UTIOA, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT lN-SKATES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,949, dated April 15, 1862.

T0 all whom t rrr/tty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. DUTTON,

of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Skate; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference b eing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which -Figure l is a side View of my invention; Fig. 2, a bottom view or inverted plan of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the same, taken in the line .r Fig. l; Fig. 4, a back view of an ordinary skate, drawn with a view of showing more clearly the principle of my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in so constructing the runner of the skate that it will form in its transverse section a section of a circle, and providing said runner with longitudinal blades or projecting edges to catch into the ice and prevent lateral slipping.

The invention also consists in applying to the skate a pawl or holdfast so arranged as to prevent a backward movement of the skate on the ice.

The object of the invention is to obtain a skate which will not tire or tax the muscles of the ankle and lower part of the leg, and which will not be liable to slip at any angle which the foot-stand of the skate may form with the surface of the ice, and also one by which the learning of the art of skating may be greatly facilitated.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the runner of the skate, which is made of convex form at its face side or bottom, forming a section of a'circle in its transverse section, as shown in Fig. 3. The runner may be equal "in breadth to the footstand B, or broader, if necessary, and it is gradually narrower at its front part and curved upward to form the toe of the skate. (See Figs. l and 2.) The runner may be rather broader at point between the center and front end of the runner, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The runner A is provided with longitudinal blades or projecting edges yce to catch into the ice and prevent lateral slipping. These may be formed by swaging the runner out of apiece of sheet metal, (steel being preferable,) longitudinal grooves b being formed in the swaging process to produce the edges a.. (See more particularlyFig. 3.) The edges u are designed to 'extend around the whole breadth of the runner. If cast metal be used for the runner, the grooves may be cast in it, or they may in certain cases be formed by grinding or filing; but it is supposed that sheet-steel of a proper thickness swaged at one operation into proper form will be the most desirable mode of manufacturing the runners. The interior of the runnermay be filled with a piece of wood to form the foot-stand, or a foot-stand may be niade of a metal plate B, secured in any proper way to the upper part of the runner. runner A made in the form specified a vertical bearing is obtained on -the ice in every posit-ion the skate may assume when attached to the foot of the skater, for the edges al form a series of holdfasts or bearings and the whole breadth of the runner, and as one leaves the ice the adjoining one at one side or the other Will catch into the ice. This will be understood by referring to Fig. 3, in which the skate is shown in blue tint in'a vertical position, with the direction of the weight passing vertically through the center of the skate, as indicated -by the line the two central edges a ct resting on the ice. The skate in this same figure is shown inclinedin red outline, with the edges u a resting on the ice. In this latter position, however, it will be seen that the direction of `the weight passes vertically through the skate, as in the former position, and it will be so in every position the skate may assume, as a new bearing-surface is presented at each change of position.

An ordinary skate has but one bearing-surface, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 4, and that of course is at the bottom of the runner b; hence when the skate is inclined the weight of the skater passes obliquely through the skate, as shown by the line c, the weight being transmitted vertically through the skate only when the latter is in a vertical or upright position, as shown by the dotted red lines, the line c representing the direction of the weight.

The advantage that myinvention possesses By having the of the skate .to the surface of the ice, and

when the ordinary skate becomes much inclined it is liable to slip,and invariably slips if the side of the foot-stand comes in contact with the ice;

The other feature of niyinve'ntion-to wit, the pawl or holdfast C-is formed of a plate having its upper end hinged to the upper part of the back end of the runner A, as shown at d. This pawl or holdfast projects slightly below the bottom of Athe runner, as shown vin Fig. l, and during the forward movement of the skate it is allowed to drag upon the ice, as it can swing freely back? ward, as shown in red, Fig. l. The pawl or holdfast, however, prevents a backward movement of the skate, as the former is heldV by the back end of the runner and its lower end penetrates the ice, as shown in black in Fig. 1. flhis pawl or holdfast is designed to facilitate learners in skating. At the commencement of the iirst effort to learn an endeavor is made to stand uprightly Wit-hout assistance. This end being attained, an effort is made to strike out with the feet; but in the rst endeavor one foot has a tendency to slide back in the effort to shove forward the other, and hence no progress is made in a forward movement, and the learner, in consequence of repeated efforts to succeed, frequently loses his balance and falls. The pawl or holdfast C, it will be seen, effectuall'y backward, it being firmly retained, and admits of the learner shoving forward the backward foot without difficulty, thereby increasing condence and greatly facilitating the attainment of the art. When suflicient progress has been made to render the use of the pawl or holdfast unnecessary, it may be readily detached from the skate. The forni of the pawl'or holdfast may be semicircular, corresponding to the form of the back end of the runner, and it may be scalloped at it-s lower edge to form projecting ends, or may have a smooth surface. I do not, however, confine myself to any particular form or shape.

Having t-h us described my invention, v hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A skate provided with a runner A, having its bottom or face of convex form, a transverse section of which is a section of a circle, and provided with longitudinal blades or edges a at a suitable distance apart and extending its whole breadth or width, substantially as described.

2. The pawl or holdfast C, applied to the skate, substantially as shown and described, to operate as and for the purpose hereinwset forth. '1

WM. H. BUTTON. i

prevents this result, as the skate cannot move, 

